More than Fashion

33

“I could see someone younger wearing it,” Kiara said, with a pointed look at Lola. Their rivalry had gotten intense over the last few challenges, and I seemed to be caught in the middle of it. Maybe that’s why Lola hated me? Either way, I was grateful to have at least one judge on my side.

“No one would wear that,” Lola snapped.

“I would!” Kiara argued. “In fact, if you make me a dress just like this, Julie, I will totally wear it to a big event next year. Proudly.”

“I would love to make you one,” I said, smiling at her.

Beverly chimed in before Lola could reply. “This dress would photograph really well, but I agree, it’s a bit too…theatrical. In the future, try to tone down the costumey elements.”

I nodded, hoping that meant I still had a future on the show. But who knew what the judges would decide in the end?

They moved on to Gavin next, who’d made a long dress composed of geometric pieces of leather arranged over his model’s body. He’d figured out the exact layout using complicated math and an intricate blueprint, like some sort of engineer, then spent hours cutting and laying out each piece. There was a tiny slit between each triangle, giving just a glimpse of skin. The effect was stunning, and if they didn’t give him the win, they were fools.

“Gavin, we all really liked this dress,” Lola said. “The pattern, the silhouette, the way it moves…”

“Did you cut out every triangle yourself?” Kiara asked.

“I did.”

“It’s so clever,” Beverly said.

“And very well made, too,” Ricardo added.

He bowed his head, hands clasped behind his back. “Thank you.”

“Gavin, you have a great understanding of the female body,” Lola said.

I couldn’t help it—I let out a sharp laugh. I quickly covered my mouth, but Lola narrowed her eyes at me. It was just so ridiculous. The judges loved him. The other contestants loved him. I was the only one he seemed to drive absolutely insane. Even if he did know his way around a woman’s body.

They praised him for at least another five minutes and then moved on to Tom. He’d made a sleek, elegant off-white dress that fit his model perfectly. It was beautiful in its minimalistic simplicity, but Lola wasn’t a fan.

“There’s nothing here I haven’t seen before,” she said. “Where is the drama? Where is the flair?”

Tom cleared his throat. “I was planning on adding this trim to the edges, but ran out of time…”

“No. You need to think bigger. You need to wow us. This? This does not wow me. This makes me fall asleep.”

Harsh. But it was good to know I wasn’t the only one Lola loved to rip apart. I figured he would be safe anyway because Nika had made a leopard print dress that was so short I could see the model’s butt cheeks as she walked.

Jeff won the challenge with a rose-colored gown with a high cowl neck and a two-tiered skirt with feathers. Lola was going to wear it (or a slightly modified version, more likely) to a red carpet event in a few months. It was a great opportunity for Jeff to get his work out there, and I so wished it had been me instead.

In the end, they sent Tom home. Tom, whose dress’s only flaw was that it was a little boring. I couldn’t believe it. Nika had basically made a 1980s hooker dress, and they’d kept her over him. It made no sense.

There was a good chance I was going to be next, too. Even though Lola didn’t like my dress, I had not deserved to be in the bottom three. Jeff’s dress had been just as costumey as mine. I could try to work on that, but I didn’t want to lose who I was either. I had to stick to my aesthetic, and that included being a little dramatic and quirky sometimes. But not all the judges were a fan of that.

I’d been certain I would make it to the end of the show and be one of the final three contestants. Now, I wasn’t sure I’d even make it another week.

But I wasn’t going to give up. Not when I’d been given this chance. When Giselle Roberts had invited me on the show, I’d taken it as a sign I needed to break out of the rut I’d been in. A sign that I had to do what I needed to do, instead of what my perfect sister did or what my demanding parents wanted. Fashion design was where my soul was. It was what I wanted to do with my life. And that meant I’d have to work my ass off to make sure I made it to the end and won this thing.

***

“I think Lola hates me,” I said to Trina and Dawn that night at dinner. We were sitting at our usual table, the two of them holding hands throughout their meal. I kept cracking up because they were having a hard time eating like that, yet didn’t want to let go. Too cute.

“I’m starting to think you’re right,” Trina said, wearing a plaid bow tie tonight.

Dawn blew her nose, but she still looked as lovely as ever. Or maybe that was just the way she seemed to glow when she was around Trina. “Why would she hate you?”

“I don’t know, but she’s always glaring at me. And even if the other judges love my dress, she always hates it. Her loathing is like a wave of heat that follows me around. I can’t see it, but it makes me all hot and sweaty.”

Gavin set his plate down and joined us. “What makes you all hot and sweaty? And can I be a part of it?”

“Don’t get too excited. We’re discussing how I was in the bottom, yet again.”

“You shouldn’t have been there,” he said. “Your dress was beautiful.”

“Lola didn’t think so.”

“The judging tonight was all f****d up,” Trina said. “I still can’t believe Tom was sent home.”

“Me either,” Gavin said. “He was the only halfway decent guy here. Now I’m stuck sharing a room with Jeff and his fanboy.”